“You see, Edge, after you left, we all waited in earnest to see if the Towers would deactivate. We didn’t know what the signs would be, but we expected them to never activate again. When it seemed that the Towers were indeed sleeping, we decided that you had somehow succeeded, but you hadn’t come back. We thought maybe there was a draw between Sestren and you, that he had fired the shot that beat you at the same time you fired at him. Anyway, I digress.

“The Imperial Fleet that Grig Orig had been part of was gone. As it turned out, that was the command fleet, and without it all the other fleets had no role model. Eventually, all sorts of military men, pilots, soldiers, even the ones with brains that did all the planning, left the Empire. Without it’s military muscle, the Empire was nothing. So, it disbanded after never “electing” a new Emperor.

“Peace was around for a while, no monsters and no Empire meant that people didn’t really have anything to fear. That so-called peace lasted all of 5 years.

“At this point, a new force arose to threaten everyone. The amazing thing is that, originally anyway, they were human. But they aren’t human anymore that was for sure. Each of the persons had been merged with a different monster, in a bizarre and surreal way. One man had a Stryder’s horn on his hand. Another had the horrible skin, and smell, of a Lathum. More of these beings emerged over time, with their origins clouded in mystery. We thought them to be merely freak births, possibly where monsters have passed some genes into humans by cutting them and transferring blood, kinda like the reverse of a traditional vampire.

“But it soon turned out that these were no accidents. These people, or monsters, or hybrids, had been created artificially by a secretive figure. No one knows his real name, or where he came from. What we do know, however, is that this being claims to be working on behalf of Sestren. When I heard that, I was devastated. I thought that meant that you had been defeated, and that my initial assumption that you had succeeded was wrong.

“Over time, more hybrids came to light. The best way to describe the way they lived would be to say they were a cult. Heh. Cults are always bad news. Ran by fools and followed by greater fools, eh Edge?

Anyway, they also came up with a name for themselves. The Brotherhood Of Sestren. Makes them sound like a bunch o’ monks. But they were the most unholy group you’d ever seen, kid. They could talk to the monsters, give them orders. Caused a few…” Gash did “air quotes” at this point, ““international incidents”. Lucichs running through villages, that sort of thing. It was unusual though, because the monsters you wouldn’t expect to see above ground all of a sudden were. More details emerged on their leader too. Rumors anyway. They said he was a drone, like Azel, only one that the Ancients had abandoned as a prototype that went wrong. Said he had wings like an angel, but he certainly wasn’t an angel. He was closer to Beelzebub than Sestren himself. Polluted the human race with monster’s genes.”

“Gash,” Edge interrupted, “I think you’ve had enough drinks. Try something softer.”

“Ah, I think that would be best,” said Gash, taking a tankard of milk from Edge. “As I was saying, this bastard was going around playing God with everyone. More and more Hybrids came up every day, until one day, someone got ticked off with it all.

“He went to the Imperial Capital and found a Stinger craft…. Those small, light ones, you know?…and he went and launched an attack on some hybrids just as they were planning, apparently, to force a herd of some monsters, forget which, through a village. Everyone else who wasn’t a hybrid was delighted that this guy had saved the village with a single fighter plane, started digging up more of them. Before long, we had a fleet of Stingers patrolling the skies every other day looking for possible “hybrid activity”. Bloody annoying when you’re trying to get to sleep.

“Anyway, people started trusting these pilots, so the pilots got cocky. They started digging up more and more Imperial ships, still with the aim of “saving the world”…damn I’m getting sick of air quotes, Edge, I don’t know if you are…. Anyway, before long we had a mini-Empire going. It kept getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Eventually, the entire damned Empire was back on it’s feet. It was fu…damned genocide city. The Imperials, or the Zwei-Imperials as they called themselves, wanted the Brotherhood Of Sestren dead, the Brotherhood wanted the Zwei-Imperials dead, and while they were at it, anyone else who got in the way of them living their lives. I mean, from what I saw, only some of the hybrids were corrupt. Others were just innocent victims that used their communication powers for good things like herding tame Coolia.

“So, the Brotherhood got ticked and started upping their attacks. We had about 4 villages attacked in 2 days, all by the same herd of Stryders, apparently. Jeez, it was Hell. Zoah wasn’t even near complete by then, we had to pray they wouldn’t go for us. More milk please…

“Then came a third lot of arrogant bastards. Pardon my language, it’s the only way I know to describe such idiots. The Rebels, or as they called themselves, “The Black Fleet Army”, after Craymen’s bunch of idiots. Gods save us all, they were almost as bad as the Empire. Wanted Mankind to have it’s own destiny back, which is good, but they wanted to kill everyone to do it, if they had to. That’s what it seemed like anyway. Basically, anything the Zwei-Imperials didn’t get their hands on, the Rebels got their hands on, rebuilt it and started another war.

“There wasn’t any of the usual “enemy of my enemy is my friend” stuff. The Brotherhood hated the Rebels as much as they hated the Zwei-Imperials. To make things worse, the Brotherhood seemed to get bigger daily, with this winged drone thing churning out more and more hybrids.

“So, while you left to try and get a better life for us, while you were gone the situation got even worse.”

Edge bowed his head. It seemed hopeless. So many had died, just to get the Empire out of the way the first time. But now…now this new Empire seemed just as bad. And now that the monsters could communicate…

“Gash…”

“Edge?”

“I’m going to take the dragon…and I’m going straight to the Imperial capital. I’m going to see the Emperor, I’m probably going to kill him, the Empire will disband and then so will the rebels. As for the Brotherhood, we can deal with them later. But they won’t be as bad when the jihad stops.”

“No you’re not.”

“I’m not going to the Imperial capital? Why?”

Gash’s face was crimson red with anger. There was fire in his eye, and even his face panel looked like it was melting slightly from the heat.

“Because, Edge, you and I are going to take the dragon. We are going after the…” he paused and looked at Paet’s book, “Terrablossom. We are going after the Terrablossom and we are going to destroy it. Finish it. Terminate it!”

“Why? It’s just one monster! With all due respect, Gash, we have bigger fish to fry!”

Gash looked into the small fire that he and Edge had built in the corner. It was small, but the warmth it gave off was welcoming. It was heartwarming. And when you look into a fire, you remember…

Gash thought back to the time when he first met Edge. That night in Cainus village, where him and Edge talked about their positions in the big picture….

“Fair enough…. Why are you here?”

“Me? I’m not out to murder anyone…”

Murder anyone….

Murder anyone….

“I’m just like you,” said Gash, to the present day Edge.

“Huh?”

“Back when we were in Cainus village…do you recall what I said when you told me about Craymen?”

“No….I can’t really remember that far back.”

“What I said, Edge, was that I…that’s me…wasn’t out to murder anyone. I wasn’t out for revenge. Now look at me. My friends are gone, my wife is gone…and all I can think about is vengeance on this Terrablossom and that three headed pest, Tyrune!”

Edge grimaced. He knew the feeling of loss. He had lost his captain. His friends. But not his entire town…Gash had worked so hard to get Zoah back on track, and a few days after it was all finished, one monster…just ONE…. had brought it down again.

“Right.”

“Right what?” asked Gash.

“We’re going after the Terrablossom. I’ll do what you want. But after that, I’m going to the Imperial capital, and I’m going to sort out these…. zwei-imperial was it? …idiots.” Gash put his hand on Edge’s shoulder.

“You don’t know how much this means to me, my friend. How can I repay you?”

“I’d love to say Gratitude would do…. but…. I feel I need to help you avenge the deaths of your people.”

Gash nodded.

“Right. We leave soon, yes?”

“In about half an hour, when the sun sets. Less monsters.”

“Good. I’ll be at my house. You’ll know which one it is. It’s the one without a door.”

“No door?”

“I always trusted my people. I never expected any of them to run into my house and steal things. Besides, my wife and I hardly ever left the house.”

---

For now, let us leave Zoah, and take ourselves far to the west of the town, towards the mountains.

In one of those mountains, there is a cave, guarded by twin statues, both aged by the wind and time. The statues were of holy warriors, who were never to leave the side of the cave…. in case any of those in the cave escaped. Once you go in there, it takes a large amount of incantations to get out.

Unless, of course, you cheated.

The cave was the shape of a capital e. E. Like that. The top horizontal line was the entrance, guarded by the statues. The middle line was a hidden chamber, which only 3 beings in the world knew of. The bottom line was no place to go for a holiday. It was the gateway to you-know-where, except it was only for the monsters. Guarding this last level were two, even bigger statues, except these ones had not aged. They weren’t even statues either. They were Golems, creatures composed of rock that had no purpose but to serve their master and carry out his latest command.

The latest command was said back in the days of the Ancient Age, by Vayss Willow, whom we shall grow to know in the events to come.

The command was: “What goes in, does not come out.”

---

Nevertheless, the middle part of the cave was more spectacular. Filled with large pillars of granite and marble, it resembled the great temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of our world, at its peak. There were 3 beings in this room, each of which were very hard to describe.

One we have seen before. He is tall and black and white like a walking yin-yang. His wings, angel-like, flapped in the little air that entered the chamber. Those wings were made of pure diamonous steel, an alloy of diamond and chromium steel from the Ancient Age. They had been cut, not by a laser, but by a higher power. Only a higher power could carve, create wings that sharp. So sharp were the wings that they cut through anything. ANYTHING. Even diamond, which the post-ancient agers thought to be hardest mineral in the world, was but warm butter to these elegant but deadly wings. This was the drone that, previously in the story, had rendered an Imperial fleet into scrap.

The second being is new to us. Like the angel figure, she is a drone, almost exactly shaped like Azel. The main difference is the color. Azel, and the angel figure, were black and white. This one was a dull, lifeless grey, almost the color of a corpse. Whereas her partner, the angel, was muscular and strong, this one was slender and almost elegant. Obviously, this one was female, as her breathing was high pitched. As we look, she is lying in one of those compartments the drones rest in, tired from an exertion she has made. The third being is a curious one. Not a physical being, more a spiritual one, whose presence was marked by a glowing shield on the wall. The shield was made of the same metal as the angel’s wings, and was specially designed to show any supernatural presence. There was a presence though, one of slight despair and loneliness. Like the first, we have met this occupant, although it was under very different circumstances.

A voice was heard in the room, without either drone moving it’s lips. It was the mysterious third presence.

“Arc’engal.”

The angel drone stepped forward, it’s brain making the simple assumption that someone important saying it’s name was a signal to step forward and pay attention. All the while, the drone kept his eyes shut.

“My liege?”

“Tell me Arc’engal. How is the plan going?”

“My lord, we received word from Tyrune a short while ago. He and the Terrablossom have ravaged Zoah, as you commanded.”

“Good. One down.”

“My lord?”

There was silence for a second. Then, the shield on the wall started to shine, and create a map-shape of the continent. One large chunk was missing, and anyone observing could see that that chunk was where Zoah was.

“You see, Arc’engal, after I realised that my hiding place was not permanently safe, I have taken on a more offensive approach. You see this map? That missing part is where the town of Zoah was, the town that Tyrune paid a visit to.”

“Ok….”

“In that town was this man.” The shield changed to show a faint shadow, then color swarmed to it like bees to a flowerbed. The shadow took on the image of a face. Gash’s face. “Do you know who this is, Arc’engal?”

“Yes, my lord. That is the seeker, Gash.”

“Quite correct, Arc’engal. That seeker was part of a large scale plan to rid the world of me. Heh heh. As if some humans believe I am so easily defeated.”

“Quite so, my Lord.”

“I am now chasing after ALL of those that were part of that plan.” The shield changed to show the faces of each person spoke of. “The Zoahian, Paet. The Caravanner, An’jou, and his son, Enkak. The weaponsmith, Jared. The compiler, Zadoc. The hunter, Edge…”

“And, presumably, my sister.”

“Yes, Arc’engal. Your ‘sister’ will be our sweetest target. Scratch that. Your sweetest target. I’m leaving her to you.”

“My lord…” Arc’engal spluttered, “I don’t know what to say! Thank you! Thank you!”

“Just remember Arc’engal. She is to be caught alive. She was the only success of Uru. If it wasn’t for me, then you would be a corpse on the slopes of that lab, as would Chroma.” Arc’engal looked at the corpse-like figure recovering in the corner.

“My lord, you have given me powers beyond those of my dreams. But has Chroma partaken of any abilities?”

“Well, Arc’engal, I wouldn’t be much of an enigma if I told you everything, would I?” “Agreed. Should I give Tyrune instructions?”

“Yes. Tell him to go to the small village of Tadcaster. It’s just a little bit west of Zoah, and that Paet boy lives there. And tell him to hurry up. I want to get onto our final target as fast as we can.”

“You have no idea how much I agree, my lord. I do get my way with her, when we have her?”

“Arc’engal, you know my plan. It depends on that. Just get Paet just now. Then, we’ll talk about that.”